Silent Night
by idkwhatthisevenis
Summary: What happens when Kakashi finds Sasuke, tortured and bleeding, in a forest? [KakaSasu]
1. Sasuke?

_Author's Note: Hi, kids! _D_ it's fanfic time! Yeah, I /finally/ had a chance to actually write something… the school year's been super-busy. This one's not very good, but I had the urge to post it. It's really predictable, and… yeah. Please review & enjoy. Don't forget to do the same to my other fics! Peace & love._

Hatake Kakashi sat on a large rock protruding from the dirt in a forest. The bright moon and glittering stars lit the area and danced in the sky. His eyes were closed and his mask was slipped halfway off his face. With each breath, a small puff of vapor escaped his lips and disappeared into the shimmering night sky.

All was calm, all was bright.

The silver-haired jounin finally opened his eyes and adjusted his mask. He then rose from his comfortable seat and began to stroll through the woods. It was a beautiful night, and it was just what Kakashi needed after a grueling mission and having to leave his 3-man cell for a short time.

He had been asked to embark on a dangerous mission and couldn't refuse. However, he had to leave Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura for a week. When he finally returned, Naruto and Sakura were overjoyed to see him safe and sound. But there was one thing – rather, someone – missing.

Sasuke.

Sasuke was gone.

Neither Sakura nor Naruto knew where he had disappeared off to, all they knew was that he had been gone for a little less than two days. Kakashi vowed to begin the search for the missing genin as soon as the sun rose, but in the meantime, he would take a well-deserved break. Besides, Sasuke was always running off. Kakashi was certain he'd be back soon enough.

As he continued his leisurely pace, Kakashi breathed the crisp air in deeply. The Konoha skies were never more beautiful. Inhaling another breath of air, he froze.

Something didn't smell right.

The smell of a coppery substance burned his nostrils. Eye narrowed in cautious alarm, he began to follow the intriguing scent deep into the foliage.

Expecting to find a dead animal, or perhaps an enemy ninja, Kakashi stopped in a small clearing. The smell of blood was even heavier in the air than it had been before. A rustle in the nearby bushes caused Kakashi to draw a kunai from his holster.

"Who's there?" He yelled loudly, scanning the area.

He received no reply, but instead, a strangled coughing sound.

Without another moment's hesitation, he darted forward and parted the leaves of the bushes, fully expecting an enemy.

But the grotesque sight that awaited him was even worse than an enemy.

It was Sasuke.

The dark-haired Uchiha's hands were stacked atop one another and a kunai was plunged through them, pinning them to the trunk of a tree. A line of dried blood trailed down his arms. Barbed wire had been wrapped tightly around his throat and arms, binding him and cutting into his skin. Blood oozed from where the wire cut into his neck, also making it hard for him to breathe. Short, labored gasps were his pitiful excuses for breathing. Rough needles had been shoved coarsely into his eyes. Whoever had done this was clearly trying to rid the boy if his eyesight – and his Sharingan. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. Sasuke was blinded and slumped helplessly against the tree in a pool of his own blood.

Kakashi's eyes widened in horror.

_Author's Note: Muahaha, a cliff hanger! Too bad for you, I might not even finish this fic. _:D_ I don't know if I'll have time, or any more ideas. INSPIRE ME AND I WILL WRITE MORE! Your inspiration + reviews equals more chapters. So write those reviews, please. _(:


	2. A Visit to the Hokage

_I am very pleased with all the reviews! Please continue to review! Here is the next chapter!  
Enjoy! _

Kakashi stared at the tortured youth in horror, eyes wide and mouth agape underneath his mask. It was not until a few minutes later that the jounin finally spoke.

"What happened?" his voice was a whisper, and even though he had asked a question, he knew that Sasuke wouldn't be able to give an answer.

Just as Kakashi had expected, the boy couldn't speak. Sasuke opened his mouth several times, as if to say something, but no words escaped his dry lips. Instead, a choking noise came from the back of his throat, and a mouthful of blood splattered to the floor and stained his already bloody shirt.

Kakashi knew he had to act now, or it might be too late. Cursing himself for not doing anything for several minutes, he took action quickly. He knelt down next to the Uchiha and eased the kunai that pinned his hands down out of Sasuke's soft, fleshy palms. Sasuke emitted a groan of pain. Wincing, Kakashi slipped the knife into his pocket and continued.

Next, he carefully unraveled the barbed wire binding Sasuke and kicked it aside. He felt the youth's chest rise heavily as he finally got a decent breath of air. Kakashi then examined the needles protruding from Sasuke's eyes, pondering what to do with them.

"I'm no expert medic," he explained to the half-conscious Genin, "and I don't know how to deal with these senbon. I'll have to take you back to Konoha, and see what they'll do there. Hang in there."

Again, Kakashi received no protest or complaint whatsoever, mostly because Sasuke was practically incapable of speech at the moment. With a grunt, Kakashi lifted Sasuke into his arms as gently as he could, but heard a moan of pain. Without another word, Kakashi began to hurry back to Konoha, Sasuke lying limply in his arms.

-x-

"The damage is extremely severe." Tsunade explained to Kakashi, after carefully inspecting Sasuke's wounds. About half an hour earlier, Kakashi had finally arrived at the Hokage's office. Sasuke was now lying soundly in the Konoha medical unit as Tsunade explained his prognosis to his concerned sensei. The two were sitting across from each other at Tsunade's desk.

"So? What is to be expected, Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi inquired, brow furrowed with worry.

"Well, it's hard to say, but…" The Hokage's voice trailed off.

"But what?" Kakashi persisted, anger rising in his voice. "What's going to happen to Sasuke?"

Tsunade sighed. "You can see as well as I that the boy is in terrible shape."

"Yeah? Well?"

"I regrettably must inform you that…that…"  
"THAT WHAT?" Kakashi lost his temper and stood up furiously, pounding his fist on the desk. "CUT THE BULL SHIT AND TELL ME WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO SASUKE!"

Tsunade gulped as Kakashi fumed angrily.

"If you are so eager to know then," she said testily, "There's an 85 percent chance that he won't survive."

Kakashi froze. His anger evaporated as he dropped into his seat, shocked. He knew that Sasuke was severely wounded, but he hadn't expected the odds of death to be that high.

"Also," Tsunade continued, "If he does manage to pull through and survive, he'll have to live the rest of his life without his vision. Let's say he miraculously recovers his vision and survives. The odds of that are pretty much zero, but if he does, then he'll never be in good enough shape to be a shinobi again."

Kakashi sat numbly, dumbfounded. His visions blurred, and he couldn't see, hear, or feel anything until Tsunade brought him back to earth.

"He's in room 3B, if you'd like to see him"

Kakashi nodded and rose from his seat. Swallowing loudly, he left the office.


	3. Hospital Room

_Hi! ;D  
Sorry I haven't updated in so long!  
I didn't realize that there were so many reviews... x.x;_

Thanks for reviewing!  
Keep em coming!

_- Izzie_

Kakashi cautiously opened the door of Sasuke's hospital room. He breathed a sigh of relief, noticing that the boy was no longer stained with blood, and he seemed to be breathing.

The room was white and empty. The jounin shuddered. He hated how the room was so blank, as if the hospital committee knew that the room's occupants were going to die anyway, so decorations were not necessary. Sasuke lay in a small bed, barely big enough to fit his whole body. Bandages were wrapped around his eyes and he was dressed in a pale blue pajama-like outfit. Kakashi stepped in quietly and seated himself in a white wooden chair next to the cot Sasuke lay in.

"Hey," he said gently, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

To his dissapointment, there was no response.

"How're you feeling?" Kakashi tried again.

For the longeset time, there was absolute silence, until -

"Kakashi-sensei..." Sasuke's dry lips opened as he croaked out his teacher's name.

Kakashi smiled under his mask.

"Yeah, I'm here." He was dying to ask what had happened. But he would wait. "You okay?"

"... I think so..." Kakashi smiled again. He knew that Sasuke was in incredible pain, but refused to humiliate himself by saying so.

"W...where am I?" Sasuke managed to gasp out.

"You're at the hospital," Kakashi said soothingly. "Don't worry, you're okay."

"Am I? I can't see anything... I..."

"Don't worry," Kakashi said, gently pushing a few strands of sweaty hair out of Sasuke's face. "It...it's just temporary. You'll be able to see soon." His voice trembled, carrying the heavy weight of a lie.

"...Good."

There was silence.

"Where... where is he?"

"What? Where is who?"

"Him. Itachi."

"What?" Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows at the sound of Itachi's name.

Sasuke fell silent again.

The jounin realized that Sasuke had fallen asleep again, so he quietly took his leave.

_Sorry this chapter is so short.  
Writer's block. e.o;_


	4. Kakashi's Thoughts

_Oh my goodness. ;o  
So many reviews! Again, I apologize for the shortness of the chapters...  
Thank you all so much for taking the time to review my little fic.  
I'll make up for it by updating much more frequently.  
To show my thanks for your patience, here's the second chapter in two days! (it's my record! hehe!)  
Thanks again for all the reviews and understanding!_

_In this chapter, we get a look in Kakashi's mind and his conflicting feelings. ; What fun!  
Hope you like it.  
Thanks for reading, as always.  
3_

_- Izzie_

**Kakashi's Point of View**

It's been three days since my last visit to Sasuke. I'm worried about him, I really am.  
He's strong, and I know he's a fighter, but this whole ordeal is destroying him.

I wish I knew what to do.

I'm sitting on the side of my bed, head in my hands.  
Why am I so worried about him?  
I'm ashamed to admit - if this had happened to Naruto, I wouldn't be fretting half as much as I am over Sasuke.

Maybe it's because of his ambitions.  
And now he'll never have a chance to accomplish his goal he's sacrificed everything for.

Itachi.  
This has gotta do with him, otherwise Sasuke wouldn't had said his name it that voice that sounded like it would shatter at any moment.  
Itachi, that bastard.  
When I get to the bottom of this, and if it really does have something to do with him, how I'd like to get my hands on him.  
I'd catch him around the throat and slowly slice it open.  
I'll make him suffer, like he made Sasuke.  
As his life's red blood flows slowly away, I'll say awful things to him.  
So awful, they'll hurt more than if I cut open his Achille's tendon and ripped it open.  
Then I'll dismember him and burn his disgusting corpse.  
I'll brew his ashes into tea in my fanciest teapot and then I'll smash it at the bottom of the ocean.  
How I'd like to do that.

I'll ask Sasuke if it was Itachi - no, I should wait.  
If I make him say that revolting name, he might throw up.  
Just the _name_ Itachi burns my throat and sours my tongue.  
It's disgusting beyond words.

I'll go visit Sasuke now.  
He might be lonely.

Oh, hell, why do I care if he's lonely or not?

I haven't told Naruto or Sakura yet.  
He probably hasn't had any visitors since my last visit...  
But who cares?

Okay, fine.  
I'll visit him. Not that I care if he's lonely or not...

...but he might like some company.

_Hello again, darlings! ;D  
I'm continuing this in the next chapter.  
I want to keep writing on this one, but it doens't seem right in this chapter.  
So I'm typing the next one as we speak, and it'll be up in a little bit.  
If that made any sense at all...  
Thanks!  
-izzie_


	5. I Hate You

_Oh my gosh, 3rd chapter in two days!  
Now this is a record. ;  
_

**Kakashi's Point of View**

I open the door to Sauske's room as quietly as I can. I don't want to disturb him with any noises.

To my surprise, he's not lying down, but sitting up in bed. He's turned in the direction of the window, as if he were staring wistfullt out of it. The curtains are drawn open, and sunlight adds a splash color to the drab room.

He looks better than the last time I've seen him.

"Hey, Sasuke!" I say in the most cheerful voice I can muster.

He does not reply, but continues facing the window.

"How're you feeling today? Better?" I keep my upbeat tone and sit down in the chair next to him. I notice he hasn't eaten his lunch yet - a plate of onigri sits untouched on a tray in his lap.

"What do you want?" his cold voice cuts through the warm sunlit air.

I take the comment in stride. "Just checking in," I say cheerfully, giving him my famous "happy eye" and seating myself.

"Go away."

I maintain my happy attitude. I don't care what he's saying, at least he can speak almost properly now, and speaks in complete sentences, however short they may be. "Don't be like that! Here, eat your lunch -"

"I hate you."

My heart stops. "What?"

"I hate you."

"Oh, come on, Sasuke, what's up?"

"You lied."

"What?" I look at him, confused. His back is still turned towards me. When did I lie to him?

"You're a fucking liar. I hate you."

My mind is blank.

"You lied to me. You said I'd be able to see. Tsunade told me I've lost my sight and won't be able to see again."

"Oh." I'm silent for a moment. "But, I only said it to cheer you -"

"SHUT UP!" his voice cracks, and I can tell he is on the verge of tears.

"Calm down," I say hurriedly. This can't be good. "You don't want to damage your vocal chords more than they already are by yelling."

"I don't care," he mumbles. "I don't care. I hate you."

I'm about to say something, but suddenly, he ripped the bandages off his eyes and threw them at me.

I cringe despite myself. The bottom layers of the bandages have blood seeping through them. The edges of the bloodstain are dry and brown, but the center of the stain is bright and wet, still fresh.

I swallow and get up.

I don't want to see his face. I don't want to see how damaged his once perfect face is.

He abruptly turns towards me, tears and blood mixing and flowing freely from his closed eyes.

"What do you see?" he asks me quietly.

"Um, well..." I start to respond, but he pries his left eye open without warning. The sight of his mangled eyeball made me want to scream. I bit my lip down until I could feel blood dribbling down my own chin.

It was awful. Most of it was milky white, but the rest was so bloody that I couldn't even see what was under the red liquid. I looked away.

"I hate you," he said again, removing his fingers from his eyes. His eyelids drop shut, and he lies down, pulling the white covers over his head.

Before I leave, I see blood seeping out from the sheets, staining them.

_Thanks for reading.  
Will update again as soon as I can.  
I know my chapters are short, and I apologize, but if I write long chapters, they end up dragging and dragging and dragging... you get the point._  
_-izzie_


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